How to Repoint a Brick Foundation | This Old House

This Old House general contractor Tom Silva replaces crumbling, missing mortar. (See below for tools and a shopping list.)
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Tools for How to Repoint a Brick Foundation:
- Raking bar [amzn.to/2Khtpob]
- Brick chisel [amzn.to/2wrxCh1]
- Masonry hammer [amzn.to/2Kfn38R]
- Shovel [amzn.to/2XjdclV] or hoe [amzn.to/2WAKW1d]
- Wheelbarrow [amzn.to/2EGN9Oy]
- Pointed brick trowel [amzn.to/2wvBkq0]
- Tuck pointer [amzn.to/2JMbo21]
- Masonry jointer [amzn.to/2wrHQ0M]
Shopping list for How to Repoint a Brick Foundation:
- Mortar [amzn.to/2W7KpPU]
- Square of ½-inch plywood [amzn.to/2JMc6wd], used as a mortarboard
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How to Repoint a Brick Foundation | This Old House
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[@omnilife691]

I feel like buying a very old house just to be able to do all the things this guy teaches!

[@BritishBoy1971]

I do like this guy, he's so easy to listen to and the way he explains things and the methods is fantastic. He's a real asset to anyone learning how to do DIY. 🙂👍

[@MrAmagaska1976]

i love you Tom Silva. you're awesome. remind me of my grampa who raised me. thanks for your instructions. and your manner of instructing.

[@memaperm9553]

Thank you for the tutorial video. I saved $1100.00 by re-pointing some bricks on the chimney. This project took a lot longer than I had expected because I don't have a wheelbarrow. I mixed several batches of mortar mix in a plastic storage container. Wear a face mask when handling mortar mix.

[@danbasta3677]

I love this! I love seeing masonry work, carpentry work, electrical work, plumbing work, Everything this old house does, turns me on! Very informative.

[@truegrit7697]

Loads of work to do on my new-old house. Super helpful! Thanks!

[@educationspot7393]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/emiYo6Gtn9d7bKs If u want to learn about estimation of bricks Then visit it

[@LS-sv7bo]

wow a flash back to my summer as a youth !! my dad would do tuck pointing jobs in the summer just in time for my summer vacation from school. I was the mud maker Trust me when I say I earn every dime. Good stuff guys love your show.

[@timothymbess]

"You guys are ready to become masons!... ...just put on this goat head and white apron..."

[@thebaron512]

Hey now, it's takes more than that to become a freemason and the goat was a bad joke from way back when...

[@myoneblackfriend3151]

Ouch.

[@u-shanks4915]

Call me a worshipful Master G stands for Gnosticism

[@55dpc]

Just what I was looking for! Great info! Thax

[@DarkRaptor99]

I have a few areas that need to be repointed on my house this year. I have done it before but this was a nice refresher on the process. Luckily its not a large amount, so It will only take a few hours. The crazy winter in Michigan really did a number on a few things around the house.

[@jnaylor4389]

Love how absurdly obvious the names for stuff are. 'Now we will start pointing the wall, this thing is called a pointer'' ''Now were going to put some mortar on this board, it's called a mortar board'' Can tell it's builders that have made these names hahaha

[@Riddlemt]

In Swedish the tools have weird names :p

[@ashyclaret]

Pointer is actually called a finger trowel and the mortar board is called a hawk.

[@luckyvet]

Moarta

[@stankeye0154]

Its called a tuck point

[@imari2305]

I love brick and stone exteriors; in my opinion the best for homes. Sigh someday I'll have my own. Nice quick tutorial TOH thanks for sharing :-).

[@the_realJP_]

Do you want mine? It needs a lot of work ha!

[@imari2305]

@@the_realJP_ lol sure haha

[@ambercutter4051]

Thank you for sharing this. I now have the confidence to make it happen. Peace

[@educationspot7393]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/emiYo6Gtn9d7bKs If u want to learn bricks estimation Then visit it

[@InsomaniacFiles]

"Really good and tight huh?" Maintains straight face :|

[@davidharness1507]

Good work and advice. I do a lot of lime mortar repointing of listed buildings in the UK

[@PM_Nunya_Bidness]

Mad props to that dude for not giggling when Tom Silva said "pack it in there gooood and tight."

[@mikeherbst1825]

I'd be going for deeper than 1"!

[@venividivici4253]

That’s because he is grown unlike half the people in the comments with a perverted mind.

[@CarlosLopez-hi3pk]

I really enjoy watching your videos

[@ThePookaHarvey]

"Lets start by removing this brick"... house falls down

[@makenziotoole3127]

ThePookaHarvey Sdsd

[@ldaws-3912]

hopefully the bricks are tied into the studs!

[@risingministries]

The drain is too close to foundation. Extend the exit 24" away from foundation with a sloped downspout extension guard. This will occur again and may be the reason why it was done before.

[@elmerlopez.9952]

I'm thinking like that....

[@OffGridInvestor]

I was expecting a prop of some type. In the formwork industry they have heaps of them. Some will carry 10 ton

[@rickeyseibert6484]

Good video. I’m going to be attempting this on my house soon. Foundation in starting to bow out on a spot

[@seriouslynow22]

Thank you. This was very helpful.

[@MKRM27]

seriouslynow22 No, it wasn’t. There was some terrible advice, if you know what good advice was!

[@zero1fifty8]

I've never heard of this method, very interesting

[@epstv7254]

I love this channel, they always put people to work 😂love it

[@justiceavengers1746]

His exactly like my dad, except with out all the swearing and abusive language when telling me how and what to do.git to love your dad's ay.

[@pt4958]

4:58 missed

[@blatherskyt]

I’m not so certain he did. He had to move the mortar underneath the overhanging brick and probably didn’t want to risk getting mortar on that same bring as well.. so the most logical thing to do would be to throw it on the side and then bring it over.

[@aurvaroy6670]

@@blatherskyt You seem to be right but whenever I replay the video at that timestamp, it looks like he aimed below the brick but spilled some mortar on the ground

[@basavarajgulannavarshenker3068]

Good help and good work for public god bless you long long live you.

[@13lueBomber]

I’m a floor installer, but still interesting to watch! Awesome content, and channel! #ThisOldHouse

[@13lueBomber]

Wow, they actually cleaned out that mortar pretty damn cleanly. That looked really well done.

[@rattl3d]

Appreciated the demo of the technique but really would have loved more info on old mortar appropriate for older brick.

[@Joebunkyss1]

+rattl3d lime mix....easy.2 -3lime ...1 cement.....15 sand.

[@ldaws-3912]

use a portland lime mix (it comes in a bag but you have to add sand at 3:1 ratio) or make your own 1-1-6 mix using 1 part lime, 1 part portland cement, 6 parts sand

[@mit5937]

There are different mortar types for different purposes. Type N mortar is for above-ground external load-bearing bricks. Type S is for below-grade external bricks. Type M is for below-grade heavy loads. Type O is for above-grade internal non-load-bearing bricks.

[@louishollandjr]

@@mit5937 wow I used Regular Motar in Bag some Pointing joints were 1 inch Deep in Cinder Block style Foundation built in 1920.

[@ilovereba1120]

I've always used cake bags to fill in the mortar joints. might have to try it this way and see if it's faster.

[@mikeherbst1825]

Hss anyone seen Mike Hunt! Getting a cherry bang.

[@tommygunn1901]

Have brick layer and concrete contractors friends that always use a bonding agent before trying to meet up existing material to new , Larson bond For people watching this

[@42santana]

Very Informative

[@unoudont768]

Good Job!

[@stradus]

I would have thought this was a much bigger problem but he solved it pretty easy

[@highgatehandyman6479]

Thst brick repair was really woeful

[@SilverMiraii]

so useful, big thumbs up

[@Joscelyned24]

That was awesome

[@ldaws-3912]

5:50 got mortar all over the face of the brick.. you should keep the face of the brick clean of mortar or you'll get mortar stains all over your wall! Another tip - after you've removed the old mortar with the chisel or power tool you should blow all the dust out of the joints with a dust blower or soft brush before you wet the joints otherwise you will have wet or dry dust in your joints when you point and it will ruin the bonding of the mortar with the brick

[@gabrielgonzales8163]

work construccion #1

[@alicemascherma6184]

Very helpful

[@paulrogers6274]

As someone who does this type of work for a living, I'd highly recommend a glove on the hand holding the chisel.

[@mortier9]

Good luck finding a raker bar. A plugging chisel would work on a small job like this. I suggest usig a lime mortar (no portland cement content). You can mix it your self or get it from limeworks.us. They also sell plugging chisels.

[@gerryroberts662]

I love this old house..

[@ranybitrology3753]

Tom is such a gentlemen from 2:45 - 2:47.

[@CC-jy4gr]

bed joints are the best

[@fernandoullaguari9073]

That was my first time seeing a festool wheel barrel

[@sanjibgamerz15]

Nice

[@williamphillips1074]

I've been a professional tuckpointing for 34 years the quota for tuck point is 300 square feet a day to cut old motor out use a grinder with a diamond blade rinse the wall out with a water hose mud must be tighter than Brick laying mud

[@cwinter84]

I would love to see you grind out and point 300 sq/ft in an 8 hr day. I will put my foot in my mouth when you upload a video showing this.

[@williamphillips1074]

cwinter84 only tuckpoint 300 feet a day

[@MMGJ10]

No way you're grinding and pointing 300 sq ft per day. Especially if the mortar is reasonably hard. If it's dust, maybe.

[@cwinter84]

It reminds me of the "I had to walk to school uphill, both ways, through 6 ft of snow, barefoot" etc. A realistic number is 1 square or 100 sq/ft a day. That includes grinding, mixing your own mud, pointing and cleanup.

[@darrylfitzys8632]

I can do 600, and my grandmother does 850.

[@manueljfrancisco5480]

Sweet😀

[@JoeLinux2000]

He's got a really nice motar mix without too much water.

[@livingdadream4616]

The muck smeared up all the faces 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Monee1885]

Chicago tuckpointers are the best!! This guy is a scab..

[@tonytrotta9322]

That women is so funny when Tom is telling her about using the hammer and chisel - you don't want to hit your hand. Ha! Notice how far she holds the chisel from the top compared to Tom. Maybe wear a glove on the chisel hand. She did real good too!

[@Refleksy]

Somewhere a Giant Dentist is missing his gum-pokey tool.

[@ninawoodson1]

ok thank you

[@davidmaldonado4426]

Nice tools(antiques)

[@c0mputer]

The girl, “Don’t leave me!” Haha, she’s funny

[@gabrielgonzales8163]

work construccion casas bueno

[@Azathoth43]

Can't wait to hear the comments saying they would fire him on the spot.

[@the_realJP_]

What would you recommend for the foundation that is not visible? Obviously excavating around the foundation and perhaps exterior water proofing in addition to this maybe?

[@porkchop1343]

I like the way she holds the shissle

[@edwardandrews1381]

Quicker to use a Angle Grinder, better than trying to rake the old mortar out !!

[@notimportant3686]

sickening amount of dust and debris

[@Tittytom]

Do not use ply wood. The wood will suck the moisture out of the mortor. Use an old metal sign or something that will not suck that moisture out.

[@edwardkiel3496]

or water the board beforehand?

[@Tittytom]

No, do not use wood at all. It will eventually dry out and suck the moisture from the mortor.

[@aemstrophy3727]

titty tom unless of course your laborer made soupy mortar! Then you might have to put in a couple of bricks into the mortar as well.

[@captainh3831]

Yes, seems like a very basic thing not using wood.

[@Joebunkyss1]

+titty tom you have no idea what you are talking about.....30 years of mortar boards made of wood tells me it only needs pre wetting....steel signs get very very hot in the sun....if you are in the shade....maybee but i doubt you are that proficient......sooner or later youll be working in the sun.

[@MMGJ10]

Grind em' and grout bag em'

[@user-in3jp1fk3p]

جيد جدا good

[@esadlemes8936]

Great video, didn't know how much mortar hardness played a role when repointing old brickwork. But I have a question, the video mentioned to use mortar that is softer than the existing mortar. What if the mortar being replaced was comparable to type K mortar, which has the least Portland cement, should we use type K mortar or use a mix of lime and sand only?

[@johncreutzinger5220]

He tells them to put on safety glasses and then puts on his snap together readers.

[@mattunknown7070]

John Creutzinger lol

[@novacaldera6181]

Perhaps he wants to "read" the joints. Ha ha ha

[@CAVERN1234]

+Nova Caldera think he would be better smoking one lol

[@novacaldera6181]

Cavern1234 Ha ha ha ha.....spot on!!!! LOL

[@hyperflys]

Not only that but old mortar can contain ASBESTOS. Even if it doesn't you should still wear a respirator mask. Gloves too because cement will burn your skin and contains harmful chemicals!

[@billyrigney4455]

I need to repoint the whole side of my house. damn

[@ilikemyrealname]

Billy Rigney 4 years later, did you do it and how’d it come out?

[@bigpicturethinking5620]

5 years later. Please update us.

[@mkl5448]

I saw the blooper reel for this episode, the guy comes out of the house in a baby diaper, licking an oversized lollipop. He says, "baby made a fudgie," and Tom goes to the tool box for the desitin and baby wipes. The lady then Kung Fu kicks the lollipop out of his hands and screams get to work!! It pretty good.

[@ru2388]

1:44 Pro move with the readers, probably learned from Trethewey

[@ninawoodson1]

Just that I looking for thank you so much because I was trying to see if I can do it myself I do not have a lot of money to be paying anyone so do you think a first-time person I never did it before

[@superlarrio]

+Nina Woodson I think you could do this. I'd say practice in a small area first and be happy with it before moving onto the rest. Also make sure your mortar mixes are right!

[@ambercutter4051]

did you do it? I was watching for the same reason and I think I can do it now. This gave me the confidence. And no special tools really is great. I hope you got your job done easier and more informed too. Peace.

[@brandonschwab3692]

the down spout should be extended 5-20 feet from the house- discharging water into the basement there too

[@rawbacon]

Simple homeowner repair, just take your time and it'll come out great.

[@yashsolanki5002]

Can you do just a single bed or head joint repointing? or Do you have to do the complete section?

[@mattphillips2255]

WOW

[@victor79martinez]

This is how a handyman would do it,been fixing hadyman messes all the time,real masons do it differently.

[@jordanlandess4499]

banging on an old brick foundation like that could lead to more unnecessary work. Here in the midwest we use a grinder, lot less vibration and faster than a raking tool. but to each their own

[@farerse]

you can also use mortar in a war against the enemy

[@SportZone7780]

nice

[@midnightdarkchocolate]

Packing the joint, should be easy I’m quite experience with that

[@josecarrillo9577]

The appropriate way to do this , its better to use caulking , cement will crack again , caulking won't

[@d4nnyth3dog]

An 8mm mortar blade for a 4" angle grinder would be a better tool to use for raking out, also he said a soft mortar for repointing, this is true but not too weak, i use a 4 to 1 ratio i.e 4 sand 1 cement for all repointing.

[@liamg1995]

+d4nnyth3dog you want to use what was used originally on the house. If that's lime mortar, then use 1 parts lime putty (slaked quicklime) and 3 parts sand. some masons used preslaked, powdered lime, others hydraulic lime. it's always the safest bet to just match what was used originally and keep it damp and let it cure slowly so it can absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and cure properly.

[@marksteven3534]

What type of mortar you using Tommy, I guess its not best to say as its a hot topic so you leave us guessing.

[@JohnPeter1940]

1 cement 3 parts sand

[@krakenhackenla]

@@JohnPeter1940 that would be too strong a mix, the original mortar looked like the binder was lime. A 3:1 sand: cement mix would speed up the the face of the brick blowing off.

[@mtadams2009]

What kind of mortor would you use? He said it needs to be softer than the brick. I have some repairs that need to be done on a wall at my home. Thanks

[@gfy2979]

Research Lime mortar

[@athenaisboeffard2340]

What is the paint that was over the bricks? you can see in the video it was removed. I have same paint on my brick foundation and was wondering pros and cons of removing?

[@jamesmorgan8106]

TOH needs to hire a certified Mason. A little shoddy on the pointing. Mortar needs to be stiffer and joints moistened. For homeowner special it worked but not very professional.

[@Joebunkyss1]

+James Morgan he did moisten the joints....the mortars fine.....did you even watch.

[@jamesmorgan8106]

+Scott Awaywithit Yes sprayed a little before but anybody whose has laid or pointed an old brick from this area knows they suck up water fast. Sometimes I need a bucket of water to dip bricks into before laying. A little spray bottle to moisten as you go works great. Bricks and joints are different all around the world and unless you've used them it is hard to know the characteristics.

[@cheshstyles]

Lol the mortar drier and the wall wetter...maybe it will balance out

[@MrEricharper]

That`s the wrong hammer for hitting the chisel with and at 5:50 there was no head joint to speak of so being unable to fill it with the mortar mix would let in water,

[@lw1343]

It's always funny to read in the comment section all the "experts" telling what the show did wrong. Funny, no one has sued the show because their fell down either. Couldn't get sponsors that way.

[@ItchyKneeSon]

With the raking bar, should you remove a cone shape or all of the mortar? (I'm guessing the latter, but wanted to confirm.)

[@hollykuhl1359]

I've got a 1900 century New England styled house with a brick foundation. What type of motor do I use?... The old motor is turning to sand or is very loose/missing.

[@cavemanbricklayer4008]

I'm a Mason 32yrs laying now I guess things are done differently everywhere I do alot of brick repair and joint refills u got the jist of it down I never seen mortar thrown in bed joint that way unless done by an amateur I use a 3/8"-1/2" tuck pointer and My trowel I'm not saying ur doing anything wrong just different from how I do things

[@rob3125]

4:42 LOL a mortorboard 😆😆😆

[@df56gh4d5h]

Can anyone recommend the right type of cement that I can buy in the store to hold my old brick foundation together? I am not going to tuck point per se but want to spread something over the bricks to have sort of a smooth look. Hoping it's something I can find at Home Depot or Lowes.

[@NoName-sn1le]

That’s called a parge and would recommend just calling local mason union

[@johnnyappleseed79]

Should you use water repellant or sealer on brick chimneys? Mason that rebuilt mine said no, but read repellant is the way to go, not sealant.

[@lh98]

So my house is built around 1910-1920 and I was using Home Depot masonry mix is this wrong for repointing the brick outside that's compromised from rain water bouncing off the cement walk way?

[@unotwochanel5645]

freemason of the 33rd to you sir

[@markphillips8019]

Does the brick hold up the mortar or the other way around?

[@user-kd5rs7oi5m]

Класс👍👍👍

[@davesimpson7308]

What a painstaking way to remove old mortar an angle grinder with a raking disc would make the job so much easier.. also if the mortar is mixed to the right consistency there's no need to spray water onto the brick work

[@ThePool911black]

Have you a link for a raking bar

[@aemstrophy3727]

Seems like you kind of abandoned the topic of matching the flexural/ hardness properties of the mortar, with the brick. More discussion on that topic would be nice!. Great looking job! Thanks for the video!

[@jamesmorgan8106]

+Trophy Everything expands and contracts differently. Many of the old brick buildings (mills especially) have mortar that is almost powder but the walls have no cracks. Now most brick buildings after 5 yrs old have cracks because Engineers have created mortars that are too hard and don't flex enough. I've been a mason for 25 yrs and have learned that you can point a building but not a chimney due to expansion and contraction.

[@ellanola6284]

+James Morgan Hm... this looks like an old house, 110 years or more old? Shouldn't they use lime mortar for pointing rather than cement based one? We are having lots of problems in UK with old houses that were repointed with cement mortar when it should have been lime!

[@Joebunkyss1]

+Trophy mortar is considered sacraficial.....that means it should fail before the brick does.....time can weaken bricks so each case may be different but as a rule if the brick has cracked....themortar was too strong......but quit often its old lime and its powdering out.replace with fresh lime mix....they used to use a tallow lime mix to putty the exposed face of the join and make it water proof.

[@Joebunkyss1]

+Ella Nola they need to dry out....cement mortar prevents that.

[@Joebunkyss1]

+James Morgan never done a chimney....whats the go...?

[@midnightdarkchocolate]

Mortar Boyd or Motor Boat👀😏

[@jessicacarlin1101]

I need to do this to a corner of my house, what kind of mortar do you use?

[@Hoserthomas]

Jessica Carlin depends on the masonry unit you're pointing, as he said the harder the unit the harder the mortar, it also depends how much the building moves. A general rule is anything below grade you can use a type "s"

[@drincogni]

When she says dont leave me, 😐😐😐😂😂😂😂 . Love when that happens.yes no they are not ready to become masons